Fewer than 10 percent of the 238 sites proposed for “HQ2” are on the short list of locations that Amazon announced today.

As part of the Northern Virginia proposal, Loudoun and Fairfax counties collaborated with developer Open-Rebees to submit a joint site that offers vast opportunities for sustainable development, unsurpassed communication capacity with access to a large and highly educated labor pool and a strong university system, a multi-modal transportation network, and world-class arts, culture and recreational opportunities.

“We are very excited that Northern Virginia is included on the short list as a potential location for Amazon’s second headquarters. Fairfax and Loudoun counties are able to offer a great quality of life coupled with an innovative and business-friendly culture for future Amazon corporate neighbors and employees. With our highly educated and talented workforce and a location close to Dulles International Airport and a new Silver Line train station, we hope we will have the opportunity to welcome Amazon HQ2 to Virginia,” said Sharon Bulova, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

Phyllis Randall, the Chair At-Large of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, said, “This is a great example of how regional cooperation can tell a powerful story. The partnership between Loudoun and Fairfax County on a metro-accessible site highlights our commitment to provide the best solution where Amazon and their employees can live, work, learn and play.”

Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, noted that Amazon already has chosen Fairfax County for an east coast campus of Amazon Web Services (AWS). “We are excited to learn that Fairfax and Loudoun counties made the short list of sites that Amazon will consider for HQ2,” Gordon said. “The Economic Development Authority, Loudoun County and partners stand ready to demonstrate to the company why our combination of business and quality-of-life assets make this a great location for HQ2 in addition to the mission-critical services AWS provides to the private and public sectors.”

Buddy Rizer, executive director of Loudoun Economic Development, explained, “Loudoun is thrilled that Amazon has selected Northern Virginia as a finalist for the HQ2 project. Our joint site is the largest non-developed site on Metro that checks all of the boxes that Amazon and other corporate users want and need. As home to a major backbone of the Internet, a top-notch workforce and Washington-Dulles International Airport, we remain convinced that Northern Virginia has all of the assets needed to merit serious consideration.”

As with all of our business development efforts, all information is considered confidential. Neither Fairfax nor Loudoun publicly discuss projects that are in proposal or negotiation stages. We will wait until Amazon announces its final location decision before releasing further details about the sites under consideration.

About the Fairfax-Loudoun Community

Together, more than 1.6 million people live in Fairfax and Loudoun counties. For more than a decade, the two counties have been in the top three communities in the nation for median household income. The combined workforce has one of the highest education levels in the U.S., and is the highest concentration of tech workers on the east coast. Fairfax County has long been a magnet for FDI, having offices in India, Germany, Korea and Israel. Loudoun County’s Data Center Alley is known by I.T. professionals around the world as the home of the Internet; up to 70 percent of all global web traffic flows through Loudoun County data centers every day. Find more details at FairfaxCountyEDA.org and biz.Loudoun.gov.

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